Kickoff 2026 I Creation and In-house assembly

As opening day comes closer, the Kickoff team has reached several major milestones, completing final testing and beginning assembly of the full-scale structure.

(Photos Taken By Andy Nguyen)

After weeks of carefully fabricating individual components, students have begun assembling the geodesic structure, ensuring that every piece works together correctly. This stage allowed students to become familiar with the construction process, gaining a deeper understanding of the role each component plays in the final structure through hands-on experience.

Students Assembling the Base

At the same time, the team is able to focus on the finishing details that bring the Kickoff installation to life. Students began painting pentagon and trapezoid panels and completed the final sanding, giving the structure its distinct visual identity as well as preparing it for the final assembly.

With the wooden components complete, the team began CNC machining the alucobond panels. Working closely with the TMU DAS shop technicians, students learned how to work with the new material. The team familiarized themselves with new tools and learned new fabrication skills as they used rivet connections to assemble the alucobond components before attaching them to the geodesic structure. As each panel was installed, the installation began to take shape, transforming each individual component into one cohesive system, allowing students to see a month of hard work come together at full scale.

Throughout this stage, students completed the final rounds of testing, confirming the structure's stability and familiarizing themselves with the assembly process. Testing at the full scale allowed the team to identify and resolve any remaining issues before instillation day.

Our partners, STEM Works made significant strides by rigorously testing the installation's integrated LED lighting systems. They evaluated how the electronic components and wiring will interface seamlessly with our fabricated modules and node connections. To ensure a smooth installation process, their team also mapped out the exact logistics of how all the separate lighting circuits will connect together once transported to the site. This critical testing guarantees that our structural framework and their lighting technology will merge perfectly into one glowing, interactive installation.

STEM Works Team Testing the LED Lighting Systems

To ensure a smooth installation on site, students practiced assembling and disassembling the full structure in the DAS building atrium in order to ensure each member understood and was comfortable with the construction process. Once the team felt ready, students began disassembling the installation, sorting and organizing pieces in preparation to transport them to the site.

Students Working Together to Organize and Disassemble the Structure

With design development, prototyping, fabrication and assembly now completed, the project was ready to move on to the final installation.